Should public high schools require you to take a foreign language?

[??????????]

If people think they may get a job where they have to interact with foreigners, that's fine. They can take the class. Most don't, and we shouldn't have the state imposing educational standards for the 'common good.'

If anything, we should be trying to screw over people who speak only Spanish. Maybe we should require companies to associate with customers and clients only in English. I would oppose that too, but it makes more sense than this inclination that we assist the destruction of our common language.

Why are we even thinking this way? We shouldn't be learning their language, they should be learning ours.

^^^^ I concur.

[??????????]

On another note, my wife just informed me this past evening that our Oldest, who will be starting  Kindergarten this fall, is slated to go to an immersion school.   Her classes from when she starts, until she goes into middle school will be taught half in English, half in Spanish.  No choice on the matter.  Or rather, the choice is, if we don't want her in that type of class, we have to drive her clear across town to another school.  Maybe it's just the fact that it is spanish that is bothering my wife, but she is HIGHLY upset.  She took German( and still uses it!  Had me thinking I was going crazy watching movies in German with no subtitles on some of our DVD's)  She works retail and has problems with people mistaking her for spanish, and with customers who have been in country long enough to learn english who are now using their children( who were infants when she started at her work) as translators.  That's what gets her all fired up.

[bullmoose88]

On another note, my wife just informed me this past evening that our Oldest, who will be starting  Kindergarten this fall, is slated to go to an immersion school.   Her classes from when she starts, until she goes into middle school will be taught half in English, half in Spanish.  No choice on the matter.  Or rather, the choice is, if we don't want her in that type of class, we have to drive her clear across town to another school.  Maybe it's just the fact that it is spanish that is bothering my wife, but she is HIGHLY upset.  She took German( and still uses it!  Had me thinking I was going crazy watching movies in German with no subtitles on some of our DVD's)  She works retail and has problems with people mistaking her for spanish, and with customers who have been in country long enough to learn english who are now using their children( who were infants when she started at her work) as translators.  That's what gets her all fired up.

They say its better to learn a language when you're young.

That point aside the fact they haven't given you a choice simply blows.
They should just offer some after school class where you'd have the option of sending your kid. We hear arguments from both sides that the public schools aren't good enough (either spend more money or privatize, but thats not my point), why not spend the effort teaching the crucial subjects right and then worry about bilingual kindergartners (sorry for spelling, i've had 5 hours of sleep in the last 3 days).

[ATFFL]

I like the way we do it here in NC.  If you are going on the college path you haev to take a foreign language.  If you are not, you do not have to take the language.  Simple enough.

[Inverted Things]

No. Then again, I'm pretty much against anything being required in public schools.

[angus]

yes.  especially if it happens to be english.  while I don't support a constitutionally mandated national language, I do think it is proper and economically beneficial to require students to learn, at a minimum, english.  if they already speak english, as established by rigorous testing (and I'm not sure many of the black folks I've met in Mississippi would demonstrate this ability, but, in the event that they already demonstrate a mastery of english) then let them learn spanish.  If they already know both english and spanish when they show up on day one (which is likely if you're in a San Antonio or Los Angeles school) then let them learn German or Arabic or Mandarin.  The more the better.

[ian]

No.

[Alcon]

No. Then again, I'm pretty much against anything being required in public schools.

Then what would graduation be based on?

[angus]

No. Then again, I'm pretty much against anything being required in public schools.

Then what would graduation be based on?

social promotion, what else. 

you're 18?  here's your pigskin and your union card.  welcome to the world.